Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
I'm not interested in a complimentary top 6 forward (A Jiri Hudler, Andrew Ladd or Brandon Saad tier player) over a line driver (A Marian Hossa, Tyler Johnson, Ryan Johansen tier player).
If I had to outline the player I'd ideally like to add, it would be Marian Hossa. Size, Skill, Motor, everything. So to accuse me of favoring smaller players is ridiculous. I just have little interest in what I've seen of Tkachuk. Even his highlight reel goals are incredibly ordinary straight line drives, stuff that doesn't work in the NHL unless you've got a monstrous Lucic frame (he doesn't).
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I struggle with some of your definitions and word usage. I'm not sure how many teams would take Johnson over Saad given the choice of the two. Saad has game breaking speed, nice size, 30 goal scorer. Who wouldn't want him? How is he a complimentary player? And how are Dubois and Puljujarvi questionable as game breakers but Keller is a game breaker? I don't understand that distinction at all. Puljujarvi has game breaking speed, playmaking and shooting. His puck handling isn't as good as Nylander/Keller's but overall he's a much, much more attractive prospect.
Saad - 1st line winger with speed, size and skill
Hudler - 2nd line winger with skill and hockey sense who had one crazy year with Gaudreau/Monahan but who lacks size and skating and seems to be on the decline because of that and his advancing age
Ladd - 1st line complimentary power forward (we seem to agree more on him)
Hossa - 1st line winger with all the tools (Puljujarvi is like a much bigger Hossa IMO)
Johansen - 1st line centre in skill, but his foot speed could be better and he struggles with work ethic at times. I wouldn't call him a consistent driving player although he definitely drives the offence when he wants to
Johnson - ideal 2nd line centre but can be your 1st liner in a pinch. Definitely drives play with his speed and tenacity
I guess we just don't see players quite the same in general.
Tkachuk I see as definitely a driving player. He doesn't drive a line through pure skill but he drives a line through compete, work ethic, puck protection, crashing the net, all combined with a very high but not flashy skill level. I see Tkachuk as a Corey Perry type. Pain in the butt to play against, great on the cycle, owns the area around the net, hyper determined around the net and can score and set up plays. I call him a complimentary player because I see powerforwards as being able to compliment any centre/winger combo. But I also see him as a driving force on his line through his compete level and determination. IMO he'll be much more a driver than Andrew Ladd is because I think he's more tenacious, more determined.